Cushion for office furniture



Dec. 3, 1929. w. H. HARDY CUSHION FOR OFFICE FURNITURE Filed March 2,1927 A TTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. HARDY, OF FORT WORTH,TEXAS CUSHION FOR OFFICE FURNITURE Application filed Iarch 2, 1927.Serial N'o. 172,083.

This invention relates to cushions for office furniture or fixtures, andmore particularly for installation on waste baskets, cuspidors and thelike, and has for an object the provision of novel means for cushioningthe exposed orprotruding parts of waste baskets and fixtures, in orderthat should they be handled carelessly and be brought into contact withfurniture, they would not mar the to furniture or fittings of an office.I I

The invention is furthermore designed to guard against injury to wearingapparel which -might become caught or snagged through the presence ofunprotected. rough to surfaces of oifice equipment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cushion of thecharacter indicated which may be expeditiously applied to waste basketsand the like now in common use, or

as they may be made part of new equipment; and it is a still furtherobject to produce the cushions of any length suitable to be cut to fitthe circumferences ofwaste baskets, cuspidors or fixtures, in order thatthe cushions may be $5 fitted to such oflice equipment. Instead ofhaving the cushion made in strips, it may be desirable to make the samering-shaped of suitable diameter to fit articles of predetermined sizes.I I I This guard is designed to be applied to metallic, reed and wirefurniture, particularly for use upon such articles where the baseor-supporting rim has pro]ect1ons I or joints and are'constantly handledor moved; h s The construction-of the cushion rim is such that in usemeans are provided for engagement'with encircling members of the bottom.

ring of the article and with the strands or rods which are attachedthereto, the cushion mm M not only serving its main object, but alsoserving to more securely connect the parts of the base to which myimprovement is aplied. p It is furthermore an object of this invent tionto produce a cushion having novel means -by which it is frictionallyretained in place on the object to which it is applied, and to produce acushion which is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive tomanuto facture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide the elastic cushionwith internal ribs which are parallel and are spaced to engageencircling members of the structure, as

Figure 1 illustrates a view in perspective of a portion of a Wastebasket with a device embodying the invention applied thereto; I

Figure 2 illustrates a sectional view thereof and I Figure 3 illustratesa perspective view of a fragment of the cushion.

In these drawings, 5 denotes a conventional type of waste paper baskethaving a reinforcing rim to w ich a cushion 6 is applied. The-cushion,in the present embodiment of the invention, consists of a yieldable bodyhaving a channel 7 extending longitudinally thereof. The cushion ispreferably approximately round in cross section, although it is providedwith extensions 8 and 9 which converge and terminate in slightly spacedrelation to each other, although when new and before the material ismanipulated, as it would be in applying it to a basket or the like, thesurfaces of the converging portions may be in contact.

The cushion is made of relatively rigid material and preferably of toughrubber composition in order that the converging portions of the cushionmay be spread apart to straddle the edge of a rim of a cuspidor or awire or ledge of a basket, and it is the purpose of the inventor to havethe material of such strength as to cause the converging portions 8 and9 to press the object to which they are applied and thereby cause theretention of the cushion by friction. In order to augment the fric- Ktional engagement of the-cushion and the object to which it is applied,the converging portions 8 and 9 are provided with longitudinall disposedribs 10 and 11 on their inner sur aces, and when these engage a flangeor other part of an object to which the cushion is applied, they willresist dislodgment of the said cushion.

It will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing that if a cushionas shown in Fig. 3 is manipulated to separate the converging portions 8and 9, the clearance between them will be sufficient to receive the headof a basket or the flange of a cuspidor 15 or other like element, andwhen released, they will contact the said object 'with suflicient forceto cause the retention of the cushion when inuse.

The cushion-rim hereinbefore described, when applied to circular objectsas shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, will be provided with inwardlyextending projections or ribs 10 and 11 disposed, as shown, the objectof these projections being to provide a dead air space or channel,thereby producing a seal about the major portion of the member 5. .Thischannel prevents the circulation of air, and it is well known that acushion of the character shown contains'sulphur, and when exposed toair, rapidly deteriorates as'to elasticity, owing to the oxidation ofthe rubber. In a device of this character, itis very desirable that thisshould be prevented, as the wear in use is so small that it lasts for anindefinite time. 5 I claim:

- 'A cushion for oflice furniture consisting of an elongatedapproximately semi-tubular member whose' edges merge into coacting jaws,longitudinally extending ribs on the 40 inner opposite surfaces of thejaws near their,

junction with said member, adapted to engage the surfaces of a roundobject encompassed by the member. and oppositely disposed projectingparallel ribs on the jaws near their edges adapted to contact with apart projecting'froI-n the part of the structure engaged by the firstmentioned ribs.

WILLIAM H. HARDY.

